Method and apparatus for data transmission in knitting machines

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for transmitting data relating to needle selection between a fixed part and the movable carriage of a flat bed knitting machine by a modulated carrier frequency without conducting wires. For each of a plurality of needle selection systems on the carriage there is provided a separate data channel through which synchronizing emitter pulses are transmitted from the carriage to a data memory on the fixed body which then transmits needle selection information back to the needle selection system on the carriage.

United States Patent [191 Hadam et al.

[ Sept. 25, 1973 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DATA TRANSMISSION IN KNITTING MACHINES [75] Inventors: Wilhelm Hadam, Reutlingen; Gunter Bauknecht, Eningen, both of Germany [73] Assignee: H. Stoll and Company, Reutlingen,

Germany [22] Filed: Dec. 10, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 206,648

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 11, 1970 Germany P 20 60 942.1

[52] us. Cl. 66/154 A, 66/60 R, 66/64 R 51 Int. Cl D04b 15/66 58 Field of Search 66/154 A, 60, 64;

323/38 R; 178/175; 340/147 MT; 244/77 0 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,035,426 5/1962 MacQueen 66/75 X PULSE EM ITTERS TRANSMITTER NEEDLE RECEIVER SELECTOR SYSTEMS I I I I I I l I I 3,476,204 11/1969 Westby et al. 192/3 3,358,948 12/1967 Sims 244/77 C 3,141,634 7/1964 Rhoads et al. 244/77 C 3,018,981 l/1962 Weller 244/77 C 2,969,934 l/l961 Gallagher et al 244/77 C Primary ExaminerRonald Feldbaum Attorney-Roberts B. Larson et al.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A method and apparatus for transmitting data relating to needle selection between a fixed part and the movable carriage of a flat bed knitting machine by a modulated carrier frequency without conducting wires. For each of a plurality of needle selection systems on the carriage there is provided a separate data channel through which synchronizing emitter pulses are transmitted from the carriage to a data memory on the fixed body which then transmits needle selection information back to the needle selection system on the carriage.

14 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures REGISTER/23 EREGISTER RECEIVE 25 TRANSMITTER PATENTEU 3.760.610

SHEET 1 OF 2 I PULSE EMITTERS REGISTER TI H 23 EREGISTER RECEIVER I I l l I I l L 20 19 25 TRANSMITTER NEEDLE RECEIVER SELECTOR SYSTEMS PULSE REGISTER EMITTER PI .2 7

7ZITRA I\J SMIT?ER RECEIVER A l I )Z I Z! 22 -23a I I" I I 51 F I E I M :3 l REGISTER I I T 24' M 1 I g S N a I K -SIGNAL E l COORDINAT- ING STAGE I I I I 20 k 2s\W 27 L I TRANS ITTER NEEDLE RECEIVER SELECTOR SYSTEM PATENTEBSEPZSIQH 3,750,510

sum 2 or 2 FIG. 3

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DATA TRANSMISSION IN KNITTING MACHINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to knitting machines, and in particular, it relates to a method of and apparatus for transmitting data relating to electronic needle control means between a fixed part and a movable part of a knitting machine, more particularly between the stationary body and the longitudinally movable carriage of a fiat knitting machine.

In a flat knitting machine wherein an electronically controlled needle selector system is arranged on the moving carriage there arises the problem of transmitting data from a fixed patterning program carrier to the said carriage, unless the carriage is so greatly enlarged that it can itself carry the patterning program carrier; but even in the latter case disadvantages would arise. An electric signal transmission through a movable cable produces difficulties in machines with long needle beds and necessitates the provision of special cable tensioning and guide devices. A cable of this nature also interferes with the driving of the machine carriage. Signal transmission through a contact rail on the stationary machine body and contact brushes or wipers on the moving carriage is subject to the disadvantages that only a limited number of signals can be transmitted,

and the transmission is liable to be troublesome for the reason that the contact parts of the knitting machine which are left free are exposed to the possibility of becoming soiled by lint.

Thus, there exists a need for a new and improved method and apparatus for transmitting data relating to needle selection information between the movable carriage and the fixed parts of a flat knitting machine.

SUMMARY OFTHE' INVENTION transmission of a large amount of data without interference between the fixed patterning programme carrier and the carriage of a flat knitting machine or a part which is rigidly connected to and movable together with this carriage, and vice versa.

In accordance with this invention the transmission takes place in one or both directions without conducting wires by a carrier frequency to a plurality of mutually independent data channels through a common transmission line. Each needle selector system of the moving part of the machine (particularly the machine carriage), has a separate data channel associated therewith, the synchronizing signals associated with the relevant system being transmitted through this from the needle selector system to the address input of a fixed data memory associatedtherewith, and there is associated with each needle selector system an additional data channel through-which the control signal associated therewith is received through the same wireless transmission section from. a fixed data memory.

The control signals for all the needle selector systems may, however, be transmitted to the carriage, without using conducting wires, through a common data channel, the separately transmitted synchronizing signals controlling the coordination between the control signals transmitted to the carriage and the individual needle selector systems. The term carriage used herein is to be interpreted as not only including the movable cambox carrier of the flat knitting machine but any part which is rigidly connected to the carriage and moves with it in its direction of travel. Thus, to allow for easier dismantling of the carriage, the electronic parts associated with the latter can be arranged on the auxiliary carrier or trailer part.

The method according to the invention can be carried out using an arrangement in which the carriage of a flat knitting machine has a synchronizing pulse emitter for each needle selector system, and the pulses from this emitter are transmitted through a transmitter in carrier frequency modulated form through the common wireless transmission line to a separate receiver coupled to a filter stage and a de-modulator. This receiver is connected to an address input of a data memory. The output of the data memory is connected to a fixed transmitter for the carrier frequency modulated transmission of a control pulse through the wireless transmission line to a receiver on the carriage, which is provided with a filter stage and a demodulator, and is connected to an associated needle selector system.

The data memory is advantageously in the form of an intermediate memory, constituted by a shift register, there being a shift register column for each needle selector system and this having a separate data input, separate address input and a separate output. The inform ation for an associated needle selector system for the complete number of needles of one carriage stroke will be stored in each column of the shift register. The shift register columns will be emptied in rhythm with the synchronizing impulses issuing from the carriage by further shifting and transmitting of the signal contents from their inputs through the fixed transmitter to the carriage and the associated needle selector systems. While the 'shift register memory is emptied in the course of one carriage stroke a second shift register memory may be supplied, from a central information collection memory, with the information required for the next .stroke of the carriage, and thus for example the return stroke of the carriage, and this second shift register memory will be connected in during the reversal of the carriage. During the next following carriage stroke the first shift register memory can then be filled with the information which is required for the succeeding course of stitches.

In one method and one arrangement in accordance with the invention a plurality of individual signals can be successfully transmitted, in both directions, at carrier frequencies sufficiently spaced to enable, for example, eight or more needle systems to be supplied with separate information via a single wireless transmission line, this taking the form, depending on the chosen carrier frequency, of an induction loop or antenna on the machine body and a magnetic or electrical field probe on the carriage. The signal transmission fields are not affected, or are only affected to an insignificant extent, even by a strong fluctuation of the induction loop, and this ensures a very safe data transmission in the selected system.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for transmitting data between fixed and movable parts of a knitting machine.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for transmitting information between a movable carriage and a fixed part of a knitting machine wherein the transmission of information is by a carrier frequency without conducting wires.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for transmitting needle selection information between movable and fixed parts of a knitting machine in which a separate date channel is provided for each needle selection system and wherein through each of said data channels a synchronizing pulse is emitted from the carriage to a fixed data memory which in turn transmits needle selection information back to the respective needle selector system on the carriage.

Other objects and the advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description to follow together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS There follows a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention to be read together with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a similar block diagram of a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a portion of a knitting machine incorporating the features of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, like elements are represented by like numerals throughout the several views.

In FIG. 1 the carriage of a flat knitting machine is symbolically illustrated by a box which is depicted in broken lines. The parts of the data transfer arrangement on the carriage are shown within this box 10. The parts of the arrangement which are disposed on the stationary body of the flat knitting machine, or at some other stationary location, are illustrated outside the box 10. It is assumed that the flat knitting machine is one which has a carriage on which are disposed eight different needle selector systems. These needle selector systems, which may be electromagnetically operated, are arranged at significant parts of the machine cambox carried by the carriage. Thus, depending on the actual positions of the said systems they determine whether a needle shall, for sample, knit, tuck, be transferred or allowed to remain in the rest condition. Each of these eight needle selector systems is provided with its own synchronized pulse emitter which, for each displacement of the needle systems to the extent of one needle division, that is to say the distance between two successive needles, emits a synchronizing signal. These eight synchronizing pulse emitters are indicated in FIG. 1 by a common small box 11 having eight output conductors 12. The latter are connected to eight inputs of a transmitter 13 secured on the carriage. The transmitter 13 has a separate carrier frequency band ready for each of the eight signal inputs, and each such band is modulated by an incoming synchronizing emitter pulse and transmitted to a field probe 15 through an output 14 of the said transmitter. The field probe 15, which moves with the carriage 10, is used both to send and to receive carrier frequency modulated signals. During the carriage stroke it moves (with clearance) along a wire loop 16, arranged on the stationary body (not shown) of the flat knitting machine and constitutes the other end of the wireless signaltransmission path between the carriage 10 and the stationary part of the apparatus.

Also arranged on the carriage is a receiver 17 which is coupled both to a filter stage and a demodulator and is connected to the field probe 15 through conductor 18. This receiver 17 receives the modulated or unmodulated carrier frequency signals sent from the stationary part of the machine and received by the probe 15 each of them being filtered, demodulated and, in accordance with its carrier frequency band, is transmitted to a specific one of eight output conductors 19 of the receiver 17. Each of the output conductors 19 is connected with one of the eight needle selector systems which are symbolized in the drawing by a common small box 20. Thus, a needle selector signal transmitted from the stationary part of the arrangement is conducted to the relevant one of the needle selector systems directly or through an .amplifier and signal forming unit of a type known per se.

FIG. 3 illustrates schematically the relevant portions of a flat bed knitting machine. The fixed part of the knitting machine which constitutes the flat needle bed is indicated at 30. Some of the needles 31 are shown therein in grooves or tricks 32 formed between ridges 33. The needles are spaced apart by a distance X. In practice, the bed 30 would be much longer and might comprise approximately 1,000 needles. In a known manner, the butts of these needles or of respective needle jacks would be moved into or out of the path of cams in a cambox mounted on the carriage 10, this carriage l0 movable in the direction as shown by the arrow 35 and supported on a suitable means such as a rail 34. The nature of the upward movement of those needles 3] which have been selected of course depends on the condition of the cams in the cambox on the carriage 10. In the presently illustrated embodiment, these cams are divided into eight groups, each group constituting a needle selection system. These eight groups are shown schematically in FIG. 3, each of them including a suitable means such as a solenoid to determine whether or not the cams of that group are moved outwardly to engage the butts of selected needles or are moved inwardly so that their path does not engage the butts of the selected needles or needle jacks. For each needle selection system 20 there is provided a pulse emitter 11 which emits a pulse representing the position of the respective needle selection system to a transmitter 13 which transmits this information via the probe 15 to the fixed part of the knitting machine in the manner described above. At this instant, and in a manner to be described below, the data memory unit on the fixed part of the machine will convey back through the probe 15, line 18 and receiver 17 the necessary information which is then transmitted to the respective needle selection system 20 through lines 19 to determine whether the respective needle selection systems 20 should position their cams outwardly or inwardly at this instant. A separate pulse is emitted from emitters 11 and hence received through lines 19 by the needle selector system 20 for each needle in the bed 30, Le,

each time that the carriage moves the distance X between needles 31.

The stationary part of the arrangement has a receiver 21 the input of which is connected to the wire loop 16 and which incorporates a demodulator similar to the receiver 17 on the carriage. Moreover, the receiver 21 has eight output conductors 22 each of which is associated with a specific carrier frequency or a carrier frequency band and thus with one of the eight needle selector systems of the machine. The eight output conductors 22 are connected to eight address inputs of a register 23 composed of eight shift register columns, each of which is associated with a relevant one of the needle selector systems. The information bits needle selection, no needle selection are stored in the eight columns in respect of each course of stitches knitted as a consequence of a carriage stroke. The register 23 may, for example, be composed of eight flip flop memory columns each with, say, a thousand memory points in the case of a flat knitting machine equipped with a thousand needles. For each movement of the carriage to the extent of the pitch of the needles, that is to say a continuous movement of the carriage through the distance X between two needles, a synchronizing pulse is produced at each needle selector system which pulse moves the register column of the register 23 through one step. Correspondingly an output pulse, or no output pulse, reaches an output conductor 24 of the appropriate register column of the register 23 for each movement of the carriage through one needle step, depending on whether an L-signal or an O-signal is stored at the memory point which occurs at the end of the register column. The eight output conductors 24 of register 23 are connected to eight inputs of a transmitter 25 which, as in the case of the transmitter 13 on the carriage, has a contrasting carrier frequency band ready for each input, the instant impulse being modulated on this band and transmitted through the output conductors 26 to the wire loop 16. An L-signal might, however, even be indicated simply by the emission of an unmodulated carrier frequency impulse.

The register 23 is devised so as to containthe needle selector information for all the needle selectors over one carriage stroke. The arrangement includes a second register 23a which is used alternately with the register 23 and which, during the intervention of register 23, is fed (in a manner not shown) with the needle selector information for the next carriage stroke (that is to say in the case of a single system flat knit ting machine for the next course of stitches) from a collection store, for example in the form of a tape.

The arrangement illustrated in FIG. 2 differs from that of FIG. 1 in the construction of the transmitter and the receiver. The parts of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2 have been given the same reference numerals as the corresponding parts in FIG. 1, but each numeral having added thereto a prime mark In this second arrangement the synchronizing pulses of the individual needle selector systems in the synchronous signal emitter 11' and appearing at outputs 12' are used to operate an output switch in the receiver 17 on carriage 10. The effect of this is that only a specific needle selector system 20', and an output 19' associated with this system are made available for the next needle selector signal reaching the receiver through the input conductor 18', while all other output conductors 19 are blocked. With this system only one signal carrier frequency is required for the transmitter 25' associated with the machine body, and all the signals received at the input of the said transmitter can be imparted to the wire loop 16 to be sent out. Nevertheless the arrangement presupposes a synchronous succession of synchronizing impulse signals so that using the synchronising pulses incident at the receiver 21' related to the machine body, a signal coordinating stage 27 can be accurately operated, one output 24 only of the memory 23 or 23a being at any time connected by this stage with the transmitter 25. Thus, where there are eight needle selector systems, in an arrangement in accordance with FIG. 2, only nine differing carrier frequency bands are required. It is, however, a prerequisite for proper operation of the arrangement for the eight synchronizing pulses of the synchronizing pulse emitter not to overlap at any time.

The invention can be modified in various ways. For example, the transmission stages which use no conducting wires can be divided up into a number of individual transmission stages which are shielded from one another. This arrangement could be used in flat knitting machines with two or more needle beds.

Moreover, it would be possible for a plurality of synchronously-running machines to be operated simultaneously from one memory register through a common fixed transmitter.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail with respect to preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that the invention is capable of numerous modifications and variations apparent to those skilled in the art.

I We claim: 1

1. A method of transmitting data between a fixed body and a movable carriage of a flat knitting machine of the type which includes a movable carriage comprising a plurality of needle selector systems and a separate data channel and synchronizing signal emitter associated with each needle selector system, and including a data memory on the fixed body, comprising the steps of: transmitting data in the form of synchronizing signals from each needle selector system through a plurality of independent data channels through a common transmission path to the data memory, said common transmission path being wireless and constituted by a carrier frequency in at least one direction between said fixed body and said movable carriage, and transmitting needle selection information back from the data memory through the common transmission path to the needle selector system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the common transmission path is wireless in both directions.

3. The method of claim 1, including transmitting the synchronizing signals for all said channels and receiving the corresponding needle selection information for each needle in the needle bed of the knitting machine. I 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the synchronizing signals and return needle selection information are transmitted on a difierent frequency band for each data channel.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the synchronizing signals and the return needle selection information are transmitted on the same frequency band for all data channels, and including the step of switching successively to select each data channel.

6. A flat knitting machine comprising a fixed body and a carriage movable relative to the fixed body, a plurality of needle selector systems on and movable with the movable carriage, a plurality of mutually independent data channels on the movable carriage including a separate one of said data channels and a separate synchronizing signal emitter associated with each needle selector system, a data memory unit on the fixed body, and means for transmitting synchronizing signals from the emitters to the data memory through a common transmission path by a carrier without wires and for transmitting needle selection information from the data memory to the needle selection system via the common transmission path.

7. A flat knitting machine according to claim 6, said means for transmitting including means for transmitting signals in both directions via carrier frequencies without conducting wires.

8. A flat knitting machine according to claim 7, wherein each of said emitters comprises means for emitting a pulse, a transmitter means on the carriage for receiving these pulses and transmitting them in carrier frequency modulated form through said common transmission path, and including a fixed receiver on the fixed body for receiving the transmitted pulse signals and delivering them to said data memory.

9. A flat knitting machine according to claim 8, wherein the signal output of the data memory is connected to a fixed transmitter for the carrier frequency modulated transmission of a control pulse with needle selection information through the wireless transmission to a carriage receiver on the carriage, which carriage receiver is provided with a filter stage and a demodulator and is connected to the associated needle selector system.

10. A flat knitting machine according to claim 8, wherein the fixed transmitter includes means for operating with a single carrier frequency for all control signals, and the carrier receiver is connected with all the needle selector systems through a signal co-ordinating stage operated by the emitter on the carriage.

11. A flat knitting machine according to claim 8, wherein the data memory is in the form of a shift register having a shift register column with a separate address input, a separate data input and separate output for each needle selector system, and the information for the complete needle selection in one direction only of travel of the carriage being contained in each shift register column.

12. A flat knitting machien according to claim 1 l, including two separate data memories adapted to be alternately switched in, whereby one of these memories is fed with fresh information from an information collector memory while the other is emptied during a carriage stroke.

13. A flat knitting machine according to claim 6, wherein the wireless transmission line is made between an induction loop antenna arranged on the machine body and a magnetic or electrical field probe disposed on the carriage.

14. A flat knitting machine according to claim 6, wherein the electronic parts associated with the carriage are arranged on a carriage trailer rigidly coupled to said carriage. 

1. A method of transmitting data between a fixed body and a movable carriage of a flat knitting machine of the type which includes a movable carriage comprising a plurality of needle selector systems and a separate data channel and synchronizing signal emitter associated with each needle selector system, and including a data memory on the fixed body, comprising the steps of: transmitting data in the form of synchronizing signals from each needle selector system through a plurality of independent data channels through a common transmission path to the data memory, said common transmission path being wireless and constituted by a carrier frequency in at least one direction between said fixed body and said movable carriage, and transmitting needle selection information back from the data memory through the common transmission path to the needle selector system.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the common transmission path is wireless in both directions.
 3. The method of claim 1, including transmitting the synchronizing signals for all said channels and receiving the corresponding needle selection information for each needle in the needle bed of the knitting machine.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the synchronizing signals and return needle selection information are transmitted on a different frequency band for each data channel.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the synchronizing signals and the return needle selection information are transmitted on the same frequency band for all data channels, and including the step of switching successively to select each data channel.
 6. A flat knitting machine comprising a fixed body and a carriage movable relative to the fixed body, a plurality of needle selector systems on and movable with the movable carriage, a plurality of mutually independent data channels on the movable carriage including a separate one of said data channels and a separate synchronizing signal emitter associated with each needle selector system, a data memory unit on the fixed body, and means for transmitting synchronizing signals from the emitters to the data memory through a common transmission path by a carrier without wires and for transmitting needle selection information from the data memory to the needle selection system via the common transmission path.
 7. A flat knitting machine according to claim 6, said means for transmitting including means for transmitting signals in both directions via carrier frequencies without conducting wires.
 8. A flat knitting machine according to claim 7, wherein each of said emitters comprises means for emitting a pulse, a transmitter means on the carriage for receiving these pulses and transmitting them in carrier frequency modulated form through said common transmission path, and including a fixed receiver on the fixed body for receiving the transmitted pulse signals and delivering them to said data memory.
 9. A flat knitting machine according to claim 8, wherein the signal output of the data memory is connected to a fixed transmitter for the carrier frequency modulated transmission of a control pulse with needle selection information through the wireless transmission to a carriage receiver on the carriage, which carriage receiver is provided with a filter stage and a demodulator and is connected to the associated needle selector system.
 10. A flat knitting machine according to claim 8, wherein the fixed transmitter includes means for operating with a single carrier frequency for all control signals, and the carrier receiver is connected with all the needle selector systems through a signal co-ordinating stage operated by the emitter on the carriage.
 11. A flat knitting machine according to claim 8, wherein the data memory is in the form of a shift register having a shift register column with a separate address input, a separate data input and separate output for each needle selector system, and the information for the complete needle selection in one directioN only of travel of the carriage being contained in each shift register column.
 12. A flat knitting machien according to claim 11, including two separate data memories adapted to be alternately switched in, whereby one of these memories is fed with fresh information from an information collector memory while the other is emptied during a carriage stroke.
 13. A flat knitting machine according to claim 6, wherein the wireless transmission line is made between an induction loop antenna arranged on the machine body and a magnetic or electrical field probe disposed on the carriage.
 14. A flat knitting machine according to claim 6, wherein the electronic parts associated with the carriage are arranged on a carriage trailer rigidly coupled to said carriage. 